Federal Member for Newcastle

BUDGET WISH #2: RESTORE FUNDING TO NEWCASTLE HOSPITALS

The reversal of Federal Government cuts to Newcastle’s hospitals has scooped second place in Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon’s 2018 Budget Wish List.

Ms Claydon said Newcastle hospitals will lose almost $10 million in funding between 2017 and 2020, as part of a cutting spree which will rip $715 million out of hospitals nationwide.

“Mr Turnbull is cutting hundreds of millions out of Australia’s public hospitals between 2017- 2020, with Newcastle’s cut of $9.52 million equivalent to more than 14,000 emergency department visits or 2,644 cataract extractions,” Ms Claydon said.

“Surgeries will be delayed, nurse and doctor numbers will decline and emergency department wait times will increase in Newcastle.

“We know that more than half of Australia’s public hospital doctors are already working unsafe hours but these cuts will make this terrible situation worse.”

Ms Claydon said all public hospitals in Newcastle would be affected.

“John Hunter Hospital will lose almost $7 Million. This is equivalent to sacking 27 doctors or 60 Nurses from our region’s largest hospital,” Ms Claydon said.

“The John Hunter Children’s Hospital will be $1 million worse off while Calvary Mater will lose almost 2 million in funding which is equivalent to sacking 14 nurses.”

Ms Claydon said the cuts were further proof of the Turnbull Government’s twisted priorities.

“Mr Turnbull thinks nothing of stumping up $65 billion for big business tax cuts that will do next to nothing for Australians, but he baulks at proper funding for hospitals,” Ms Claydon said.

“Every dollar cut from our public hospitals is a dollar taken from the most vulnerable Australians.

“The $715 million dollar question for Mr Turnbull now is whether he will reverse these damaging cuts on Tuesday.”

Ms Claydon is counting down her top ten Budget Wishes in the lead up to the Federal Budget on Tuesday 8 May.